From this months Esquire magazine - click on the photo to read more.

I was going really slow at the time. Whoever it was looking out, who armed it, waited for all the civilian traffic to go by.

They were aiming for the third truck, so when my front tires rolled over the infrared laser, it exploded.

They built it into the cement and painted it to look like the curb and sidewalk.

It took most of my front end off instead of going into the cab. But I still had a little extra come at me.

My gunner had some shrapnel in his ass.

My team leader had shrapnel in his hip and his wrist. I didn't hear the blast. I saw the smoke and the fire come through the door, but I didn't hear it. The concussion of the blast collapsed my right lung, so it was hard to breathe.

I was in so much pain, my body wouldn't even let me feel pain. It's like Icy Hot after the icy part, when it gets hot.

That's what it felt like all over my body.


I was lying there. Before I said anything, I wiped my face because I felt blood and the flies were all over, and the first thing I saw was my finger gone.

Okay, not so bad.

Then I turned my hand over, and the whole thing looked like ground beef.

But it still looked all right, kind of.

I could see bone.

Anyway, while I'm looking at this, I went to wipe my face with my left hand and there was nothing there.

Oh, fuck.

After that I looked down at my legs, and right as I saw what had happened, my friend grabbed my forehead and pushed it down, hoping that I hadn't seen.

But I did.

I knew they were gone.